I have often wondered why the word “superwomen” conjures up so many different reactions from women today. I can recall hearing my mother singing the Enjoli perfume jingle “I can bring home the bacon; fry it up in a pan. And never let you forget you're a man 'Cuz I'm a woman -- W-O-M-A-N”. This song represented freedom and choices for women.
So many women are growing weary of unsuccessfully juggling multiple roles and sacrificing one aspect of life for another. For nearly 10 years I worked as an executive coach for General Motors. The executive women I coached were breaking the glass ceiling, but at the expense of their peace of mind. The women I coached felt guilty about just about everything: not doing all they could on the job; not spending enough time with their children; having nothing left for a husband and not maintaining friendships.
By Kim Bettie In order to go from good to great many corporations invest up to $30,000.00 for an executive to have a coach. According to Fortune magazine, “Coaching has become the hottest thing in management today.”Life coaching is not therapy; it is for stable, hardworking people, who want help reaching their goals. Your life coach acts as a sounding board, asks the right questions, and is armed with the processes to help you believe what once seemed impossible is possible.
In order to understand the complexity of today’s world, successful people set aside time to think strategically.They devote time, their most precious resource, to focus on key issues important to their long term success.The effectiveness of strategic thinking increases as you involve others in the process who can give you a different perspective. Group coaching offers the opportunity to think strategically and gain an outside perspective.You benefit from the coach’s expertise along with the additional perspectives of your fellow participants.This can be an effective strategy for reaching and sustaining peak performance.
For the past 20 years I have been in the business of encouraging others. Before leaving corporate America, I was an executive coach and senior trainer for GM.I have helped hundreds of people to overcome the barriers to reaching their goals and experiencing lasting change. The lesson I learned while coaching some of the most talented leaders in corporate America today, is that there are two kinds of goals we all must deal with: internal (personal) and external (professional). The internal goals are about how our conduct must change to reach our external goals.I challenge my audiences and clients to develop the mindset to breakthrough their roadblocks.
journey to the promised land I love to read the Bible story about the children of Israel and the journey to the Promised Land.There are so many lessons for us to apply to our lives.The Israelites were the descendants of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel after he struggled with God until he was blessed.Jacob’s family moved to Egypt and grew into a large nation.The Israelites worshipped one God and the Egyptians worshipped many gods.Afraid they would soon be outnumbered, the Egyptians enslaved the Israelites to kill their spirit and stop their growth.After 400 years, God heard their cries and freed the Israelites from slavery.God overcame their enemies, miraculously parted the Red Sea, and fed them manna from heaven along the way.
The great debate continues.Is it really possible for women to have it all?An even better question is, “Can we handle it all?”We want to get more joy out of life.However, the number one killer of joy is burnout.For nearly 10 years I worked as an executive coach for General Motors.The executive women I coached were breaking the glass ceiling, but at the expense of their peace of mind.
